MIRPUR (AJK) – The Chief Justice Azad Jammu Kashmir Supreme Court Justice Riaz Akhter Chaudhry has been made dysfunctional after a reference was filed against him in the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) of AJK, says an official notification issued in Muzaffarabad on Saturday.
In another related development, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, Ad-hoc Judge of the AJK Supreme Court, has also been removed from the office with immediate effect.
“Justice Riaz will remain dysfunctional till the completion of the inquiry and arrival of final report by the Supreme Judicial Council of Azad Jammu Kashmir,” the notification declared, adding that the most senior judge of the Supreme Court Azad Jammu Kashmir, Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani, has been appointed as acting Chief Justice.
Justice Manzoor Hussain Gilani took the oath of office as acting Chief Justice in a ceremony held in Muzaffarabad. Acting President AJK Shah Ghulam Qadir administered oath to the acting CJ.
According to an official notification, No Law/A.D/1762 – 76 / 2010 dated 03/4/2010, the SJC has initiated proceedings to inquire into the conduct of Justice Muhammad Riaz Akhter after a reference was filed before the council under section 42-E of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act 1974, making the chief justice AJK Supreme Court dysfunctional till the inquiry and final report by the Supreme Judicial Council.
The notification also said, “Therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 42 (8) of the Azad Jammu Kashmir Interim Constitution Act – 1974, the President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been pleased to appoint Justice Syed Manzoor Hussain Gillani, most senior judge of the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu Kashmir, as the acting chief justice.”
Meanwhile, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, Ad-hoc Judge of AJK Supreme Court, has been removed from the office with immediate effect, according to an official notification.
The notification issued by Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Right Department of AJK said in exercise of powers conferred by Section 42-A of the Azad Jammu Kashmir Interim Constitit6on Act 1974, the President of Azad Jammu Kashmir, on the recommendation of Acting Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Azad Jammu Kashmir Justice Manzoor Hussain Gillani, has ordered that services of Justice Muhammad Azam Khan as ad-hoc judge of Supreme Court shall stand dispensed with and he shall ceased to be the judge with effect from April 3.